diff --git a/code/_globalvars/lists/mapping.dm b/code/_globalvars/lists/mapping.dm
index 9b49fb95f0a..1c01bd82780 100644
--- a/code/_globalvars/lists/mapping.dm
+++ b/code/_globalvars/lists/mapping.dm
@@ -52,3 +52,8 @@ var/list/awaydestinations = list()	//a list of landmarks that the warpgate can t
 
 	//used by jump-to-area etc. Updated by area/updateName()
 var/list/sortedAreas = list()
+
+//List of preloaded templates
+var/list/datum/map_template/map_templates = list()
+var/list/datum/map_template/space_ruins_templates = list()
+var/list/datum/map_template/lava_ruins_templates = list()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/code/controllers/master.dm b/code/controllers/master.dm
index 67fdc91a090..6800c95e2b4 100644
--- a/code/controllers/master.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/master.dm
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ var/global/datum/controller/master/Master = new()
 		return
 	world << "<span class='boldannounce'>Initializing subsystems...</span>"
 
+	preloadTemplates()
 	// Pick a random away mission.
 	createRandomZlevel()
 	// Generate asteroid.
diff --git a/code/datums/helper_datums/map_template.dm b/code/datums/helper_datums/map_template.dm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..46a8f576e99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/datums/helper_datums/map_template.dm
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+/datum/map_template
+	var/name = "Default Template Name"
+	var/width = 0
+	var/height = 0
+	var/mappath = null
+	var/mapfile = null
+
+/datum/map_template/New(path = null, map = null, rename = null)
+	if(path)
+		mappath = path
+		preload_size(mappath)
+	if(map)
+		mapfile = map
+	if(rename)
+		name = rename
+
+/datum/map_template/proc/preload_size(path)
+	var/quote = ascii2text(34)
+	var/map_file = file2text(path)
+	var/key_len = length(copytext(map_file,2,findtext(map_file,quote,2,0)))
+	//assuming one map per file since more makes no sense for templates anyway
+	var/mapstart = findtext(map_file,"\n(1,1,") //todo replace with something saner
+	var/content = copytext(map_file,findtext(map_file,quote+"\n",mapstart,0)+2,findtext(map_file,"\n"+quote,mapstart,0)+1)
+	var/line_len = length(copytext(content,1,findtext(content,"\n",2,0)))
+
+	width = line_len/key_len
+	height = length(content)/(line_len+1)
+
+/datum/map_template/proc/load(turf/T, centered = FALSE)
+	if(centered)
+		T = locate(T.x - width/2 , T.y - height/2 , T.z)
+	if(!T)
+		return
+	if(T.x+width > world.maxx)
+		return
+	if(T.y+height > world.maxy)
+		return
+
+	maploader.load_map(get_file(), T.x, T.y, T.z)
+	//initialize
+	for(var/A in block(T,locate(T.x+width, T.y+height, T.z)))
+		var/turf/B = A
+		for(var/atom/movable/AM in B)
+			AM.initialize()
+			if(istype(AM,/obj/structure/cable))
+				var/obj/structure/cable/PC = AM
+				if(!PC.powernet)
+					var/datum/powernet/NewPN = new()
+					NewPN.add_cable(PC)
+					propagate_network(PC,PC.powernet)
+
+	log_game("[name] loaded at at [T.x],[T.y],[T.z]")
+
+/datum/map_template/proc/get_file()
+	if(mapfile)
+		return mapfile
+	if(mappath)
+		mapfile = file(mappath)
+		return mapfile
+
+/datum/map_template/proc/get_affected_turfs(turf/T, centered = FALSE)
+	var/turf/placement = T
+	if(centered)
+		var/turf/corner = locate(placement.x - width/2, placement.y - height/2, placement.z)
+		if(corner)
+			placement = corner
+	return block(placement, locate(placement.x + width, placement.y + height, placement.z))
+
+
+/proc/preloadTemplates(path = "_maps/templates/") //see master controller setup
+	var/list/filelist = flist(path)
+	for(var/map in filelist)
+		var/datum/map_template/T = new(path = "[path][map]", rename = "[map]")
+		map_templates[T.name] = T
+
+	preloadRuinTemplates()
+
+/proc/preloadRuinTemplates()
+	var/list/potentialSpaceRuins = generateMapList(filename = "config/spaceRuinConfig.txt")
+	for(var/ruin in potentialSpaceRuins)
+		var/datum/map_template/T = new(path = "[ruin]", rename = "[ruin]")
+		space_ruins_templates[T.name] = T
+
+	var/list/potentialLavaRuins = generateMapList(filename = "config/lavaRuinConfig.txt")
+	for(var/ruin in potentialLavaRuins)
+		var/datum/map_template/T = new(path = "[ruin]", rename = "[ruin]")
+		lava_ruins_templates[T.name] = T
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/code/modules/admin/verbs/map_template_loadverb.dm b/code/modules/admin/verbs/map_template_loadverb.dm
index 73ca6e5d680..be9bc8c4aec 100644
--- a/code/modules/admin/verbs/map_template_loadverb.dm
+++ b/code/modules/admin/verbs/map_template_loadverb.dm
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 /client/proc/map_template_load()
 	set category = "Debug"
 	set name = "Map template - Place"
@@ -7,30 +6,15 @@
 	if(!T)
 		return
 
-	var/list/filelist = flist("_maps/templates/")
-	filelist |= map_template_uploads
+	var/datum/map_template/template
 
-	var/map = input(usr, "Choose a Map Template to place at your CURRENT LOCATION","Place Map Template") as null|anything in filelist
+	var/map = input(usr, "Choose a Map Template to place at your CURRENT LOCATION","Place Map Template") as null|anything in map_templates
 	if(!map)
 		return
 
-	var/mapfile
-	if(map in map_template_uploads) //in the cache, not the template folder
-		mapfile = map
-	else
-		mapfile = file("_maps/templates/[map]")
-
-	if(isfile(mapfile))
-		maploader.load_map(mapfile, T.x, T.y, T.z)
-		message_admins("<span class='adminnotice'>[key_name_admin(usr)] has placed a map template ([map]) at <A HREF='?_src_=holder;adminplayerobservecoodjump=1;X=[T.x];Y=[T.y];Z=[T.z]'>(JMP)</a></span>")
-	else
-		usr << "Bad map file: [map]"
-
-
-//A list of map files that have been uploaded by admins
-//It's NOT persistent between rounds
-var/global/list/map_template_uploads = list()
-
+	template = map_templates[map]
+	template.load(T)
+	message_admins("<span class='adminnotice'>[key_name_admin(usr)] has placed a map template ([template.name]) at <A HREF='?_src_=holder;adminplayerobservecoodjump=1;X=[T.x];Y=[T.y];Z=[T.z]'>(JMP)</a></span>")
 
 /client/proc/map_template_upload()
 	set category = "Debug"
@@ -43,5 +27,6 @@ var/global/list/map_template_uploads = list()
 		usr << "Bad map file: [map]"
 		return
 
-	map_template_uploads |= file(map)
+	var/datum/map_template/M = new(map=map, rename="[map]")
+	map_templates[M.name] = M
 	message_admins("<span class='adminnotice'>[key_name_admin(usr)] has uploaded a map template ([map])</span>")
diff --git a/code/modules/awaymissions/zlevel.dm b/code/modules/awaymissions/zlevel.dm
index eb284af8c41..6eee3c026f3 100644
--- a/code/modules/awaymissions/zlevel.dm
+++ b/code/modules/awaymissions/zlevel.dm
@@ -7,10 +7,6 @@
 
 var/global/list/potentialRandomZlevels = generateMapList(filename = "config/awaymissionconfig.txt")
 
-var/global/list/potentialLavaRuins = generateMapList(filename = "config/lavaRuinConfig.txt")
-
-var/global/list/potentialSpaceRuins = generateMapList(filename = "config/spaceRuinConfig.txt")
-
 /proc/createRandomZlevel()
 	if(awaydestinations.len)	//crude, but it saves another var!
 		return
@@ -71,12 +67,13 @@ var/global/list/potentialSpaceRuins = generateMapList(filename = "config/spaceRu
 	return potentialMaps
 
 
-/proc/seedRuins(z_level = 1, ruin_number = 0, whitelist = /area/space, list/potentialRuins = potentialSpaceRuins)
+/proc/seedRuins(z_level = 1, ruin_number = 0, whitelist = /area/space, list/potentialRuins = space_ruins_templates)
 	ruin_number = min(ruin_number, potentialRuins.len)
 
 	while(ruin_number)
 		var/sanity = 0
 		var/valid = FALSE
+		var/datum/map_template/template = potentialRuins[pick(potentialRuins)]
 		while(!valid)
 			valid = TRUE
 			sanity++
@@ -85,17 +82,16 @@ var/global/list/potentialSpaceRuins = generateMapList(filename = "config/spaceRu
 				break
 			var/turf/T = locate(rand(RANDOM_LOWER_X, RANDOM_UPPER_X), rand(RANDOM_LOWER_Y, RANDOM_UPPER_Y), z_level)
 
-			for(var/turf/check in range(T, 15))
+			for(var/turf/check in template.get_affected_turfs(T,1))
 				var/area/new_area = get_area(check)
 				if(!(istype(new_area, whitelist)))
 					valid = FALSE
 					break
 
-
 			if(valid)
 				world.log << "Ruins marker placed at [T.x][T.y][T.z]"
 				var/obj/effect/ruin_loader/R = new /obj/effect/ruin_loader(T)
-				R.Load(potentialRuins, -15, -15)
+				R.Load(potentialRuins,template)
 				ruin_number --
 
 	return
@@ -107,16 +103,13 @@ var/global/list/potentialSpaceRuins = generateMapList(filename = "config/spaceRu
 	icon_state = "syndballoon"
 	invisibility = 0
 
-/obj/effect/ruin_loader/proc/Load(list/potentialRuins = potentialSpaceRuins, x_offset = 0, y_offset = 0)
+/obj/effect/ruin_loader/proc/Load(list/potentialRuins = space_ruins_templates, datum/map_template/template = null)
 	if(potentialRuins.len)
 		world << "<span class='boldannounce'>Loading ruins...</span>"
-
-		var/map = pick(potentialRuins)
-		var/file = file(map)
-		if(isfile(file))
-			maploader.load_map(file, src.x + x_offset, src.y + y_offset, src.z)
-			world.log << "[map] loaded at at [src.x + x_offset],[src.y + y_offset],[src.z]"
-		potentialRuins -= map //Don't want to load the same one twice
+		if(!template)
+			template = potentialRuins[pick(potentialRuins)]
+		template.load(get_turf(src),centered = TRUE)
+		potentialRuins -= template //Don't want to load the same one twice
 		world << "<span class='boldannounce'>Ruins loaded.</span>"
 
 	else
diff --git a/code/modules/shuttle/shuttle.dm b/code/modules/shuttle/shuttle.dm
index 852437a948e..6809cea83ed 100644
--- a/code/modules/shuttle/shuttle.dm
+++ b/code/modules/shuttle/shuttle.dm
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@
 	..()
 	SSshuttle.mobile += src
 
+/obj/docking_port/mobile/initialize()
 	var/area/A = get_area(src)
 	if(istype(A, /area/shuttle))
 		areaInstance = A
diff --git a/tgstation.dme b/tgstation.dme
index b85628713c8..f1bcb25338e 100644
--- a/tgstation.dme
+++ b/tgstation.dme
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@
 #include "code\datums\helper_datums\events.dm"
 #include "code\datums\helper_datums\getrev.dm"
 #include "code\datums\helper_datums\icon_snapshot.dm"
+#include "code\datums\helper_datums\map_template.dm"
 #include "code\datums\helper_datums\teleport.dm"
 #include "code\datums\helper_datums\topic_input.dm"
 #include "code\datums\spells\area_teleport.dm"